Life and all the shananigins!

Canvas Prints are all the rage at the moment, with many buying them as gifts for loved ones. Artists such as Andy Warhol and street artist Banksy have greatly influenced design and fashion trends, with many top interior designers using Canvas Prints in their designs. As a result of this increase in popularity many have turned to canvas printing as a way of creatively decorating their own homes. Creating your very own personalised Canvas Print is very easy, and is the ideal way to display and present your favourite family photos.

This post will guide you through 4 steps which will help you turn your most cherished photos into wonderful Canvas Wall Art.

Step 1: Choose and Image

Possibly the most important step to creating your very own personalised Canvas Print is to select the perfect image. When selecting your image there are a few important factors to take into consideration. Is your image one that you will be happy to see everyday? Will it fit in with your homes current design? Is it of a quality worth spending money on to transform it into a wonderful canvas print? If the answer to these questions are all “Yes” then you can move on to step 2. If you are struggling for ideas, but really wish to have a canvas print in your home popular ideas include, family photos, pets, landscape photos, hobbies and interests. You can also further personalise your image by customising and editing your image using computer software such as PhotoShop.

Step 2: Print Image

Once you have selected your perfect image you need to have it printed onto canvas. The easiest way to do this is to take your image to a specialist printing company, who can have your image printed onto high quality canvas in a couple of hours. However, depending on the size of the canvas, and the quality of your home printer, you may be able to complete this step at home. To do this you will have to own a printer that is capable of printing to canvas, you can check this in your printers Manufactures Manual. You will also need to buy some canvas to print onto, there are two main types 100% cotton canvas, or Poly Canvas. Read your printers manual carefully and follow the steps that guide you through the set up for printing onto canvas. Once your print is complete you must wait for the ink to completely dry before continuing to step 3.

Step 3: Stretch and Frame Canvas

Once your canvas prints are dry you need to stretch and frame them. Canvas prints are traditionally stretched over a wooden frame, this keeps the canvas tight and makes for a smooth and professional finish. The key to stretching your canvas is to keep the canvas tight, you can buy tool that will assist in this, but when stretched properly a canvas print should be tight like the skin on a drum. Again you can take your Canvas to a professional who will be able to do this for you. However if you are feeling creative and wish to do this by yourself you can. Neatly fold the canvas around your wooden frame using special canvas pliers to pull the canvas tight, and secure using a staple gun. Once secured, cover the staples with a strong masking tape for a neat finish. You can then opt to frame your canvas or leave it as it is and hang it up. Framing looks great if your image is artistic, but many prefer the simplistic and modern look of an unframed canvas print.

Step 4: Hang Canvas

Hanging your finished Wall Art is easy. There are many effective methods. You can use a painting hanging set, mirror plates, or 3M Command Strips, all are readily available at any respectable D.I.Y shop. The most important part of hanging your canvas print is choosing the perfect place to show off your new, fantastic Canvas Wall Art.

About the Author

Adam has many years experience within the Digital Printing industry, he specialised in creating high quality Canvas Wall Art. In his spare time he enjoys developing his skills as an amateur photographer. His favourite things to take photos of are insects and flowers.

All about me!

For those of you who didn’t read my old blog, or just want to remind yourself of my background, here goes…….

I’m a 33 year old single mum. I have two daughters, B is 8 and H is 3. I have been single since I was 5 months pregnant with H, and yes they both have the same dad. They see him alternate weekends and holidays unless he is away with work.

When my marriage broke down I moved the length of the country to be back at home near family and unfortunately lost my job due to the credit crunch too. I returned to work in March 2010, as a Family Support Worker. It’s such a rewarding job but hard work too. I’m now in a new relationship with Mr D and have the added dynamics of his children and how they fit into both my life and my girls lives! Being a parent brings some challenges but I wouldn’t change it!

As a single mum it’s a great way to view my opinions and get other points of view. Don’t get me wrong I have some fantastic friends and family on my doorstep and I talk things through with them. Sometimes the view of a perfect stranger is a breeze of fresh air though.

So be warned, I really am getting into this now and I am likely to post some utter drivel as well as some (hopefully) interesting stuff. All I ask is that you comment honestly, I don’t expect my opinions to be agreeable to everyone and at times I will be looking for some opinions that contradict my own.